"Sarah." Maggie called as soon as Sarah entered the ED the following day. "We need you in trauma 3."

"I'll just get changed, I'll be right there." Sarah replied

"No need. It's more of a personal request."

"What?"

It was then that Sarah heard the raised voice of Will from trauma bay 3.

Maggie nodded her over and drew back the door and curtain to present Will and Connor mid-argument while Will was working on Connor's hand.

Maggie cleared her throat, causing the two men to look up.

"Sarah, your fake boyfriend's an idiot." Will quipped as he dabbed at Connor's knuckles causing the cardiothorasic surgeon to hiss in pain.

"What happened?" Sarah asked.

"Robin and Joey happened." Maggie said.

"It's nothing." Connor said, looking at Sarah as an undignified yelp came from the next bay.

"That would be Joey, I had Madison stitch him up. Told her to make sure the stitches are very secure." Maggie said, very nearly keeping a straight face but the corner of her mouth twitched.

"Maggie…" Connor sighed.

"What? It's good practice for the new residents." Maggie replied, "Plus it was you that has him in there anyway."

"Okay, seriously, what happened?" Sarah asked.

"You're lucky you didn't break any bones, how the hell would your career go if you couldn't perform surgery anymore, huh?" Will chided as he finished up. "What happened was Robin was told a few people at Molly's about your fake relationship last night, she told some people who told some people and Rachel found out."

"Which meant Joey found out and he had some choice words about you this morning…." Maggie continued, "And this idiot punched him." She pointed to Connor.

"What?" Sarah spat.

Connor practically growled, "He said that he knew that we couldn't be dating because apparently I'd never date someone like you. That you were desperate. That I didn't 'have to put up with you' anymore and just some other absolute crap and…."

"It's not like you have to defend my honor." Sarah snapped more harshly than she intended to. "You're not my real boyfriend. We can forget all this already. I told you that."

She was angry. She was angry because she wanted him to care about her like she cared about him. But it was probably a misplaced sense of loyalty than anything else and she hated it.

She made her way quickly to the next bay where Madison was in fact making Joey wince as she stitched up his lip.

"And you." She pointed at Joey, causing him to jump at the sudden interruption. "You dumped me. You don't get to talk about me like I'm some dirt under your shoe and you shouldn't have rubbed your new relationship in my face. I deserve far better than you, so thanks, I guess, for showing me that."

She turned on her heels and all but stormed across the ED to get changed for her shift.

Sarah needed no further proof that gossip traveled fast through the halls of the Gaffney Chicago Medical Centre because by her first coffee break she heard that Connor was suspended for the day, but seeing as Joey didn't want to pursue anything further, the entire debacle was dropped.

She had so many missed calls from Connor, she turned her phone off.

She didn't want to have to talk to him. Because then it would really all be over.

It was lunch time by the time the gossip became a tidal wave and turned on her.

"Did you hear about Dr Rhodes being blackmailed into dating her?"

"How desperate…."

"I knew it! I knew he wouldn't date someone like her!"

It was like a horrible Greek chorus of her worst thoughts about herself and her situation with Connor.

Maggie caught her on her way back to the ED, "You're coming out tonight, it's mandatory, it's in Molly's."

"Maggie, I don't think I…."

Maggie quickly shushed her, "That's exactly why you're coming out, you need to get out of that head of yours and show all these vultures that none of this matters, you're a part of our ED family."

That was how Sarah found herself linked arm in arm with Madison as they entered Molly's that night.

She hated it.

She hated that the first person she looked for was Connor.

And she found him. Looking right back at her.

She felt like time stood still, like her blood slowed down in her veins, like he was documenting every shade of color in her eyes even in the dim lights of the bar.

It was the slight tug from Madison that broke the moment, as Sarah greeted the little group already through their first drinks.

Connor stayed at his perch at the bar, making small talk with Herrmann and whoever was nearby while ordering drinks.

Sarah really did try to listen to whatever story Will was telling but she must not have been doing a very good job because Ethan leaned over to her as he moved past.

"You know you don't have to keep up this facade." Ethan said.

"Sorry?" Sarah asked.

The older doctor beckoned over to where Connor was. "With Connor, I thought it was all over? So you don't have to pretend anymore."

That was the problem, Sarah wondered if any of it ever was pretend.

"Oh. Right. Yeah." She managed to mumble a reply blushing at being caught, before she heard somehow politely clear their throat behind her.

Was it bad that she didn't need to hear his voice? That her entire body somehow recognized his presence?

"Sarah, can I talk to you for a moment? I need to apologize." Connor said, his usual bravado nowhere to see, like the walls he kept up for everyone else didn't even exist when he was talking to her.

She cleared her own throat. "Okay? Do want to go outside, somewhere more private?" Sarah was paranoid of all the stares she could feel on them, she knew the entire bar wasn't in fact looking at them, but it didn't stop the feeling.

"No way, I'm not having anymore rumors that I somehow don't want to be near you." He said, his voice rough, "This is all such a mess and it's all my fault."

"Actually neither of us came up with this idea anyway."

"No but I…" He sighed, "I'm sorry for punching Joey and leaving you with all the vicious gossip. I never want to cause you pain, I certainly don't want to be messing up with your professional life. This thing went too far and I let you get hurt and I'm sorry. Truly."

This thing went too far. The words reverberated around her head.

She nodded, just to give herself something to do except than cry, "Yeah your right this whole thing was a disaster, we should have never agreed to it in the first place. I'm sorry for dragging your name through the mud."

"Don't worry about my name." He waved away her concern. "Are we okay though? Are you?" He dipped his head to look her in the eye, making the entire room disappear.

It was all over.

And he was being a good friend about it.

Maybe that's what Connor Rhodes could be to her now. A friend.

The very thought made her feel like someone had took a scapel to her heart.

But she found it in herself somewhere to lie, because she had always known it would end like this.

"I'm fine."

"Good." He nodded.

"At least we can give all this up then?" She gave a bitter laugh, "You're off the hook."

"It wasn't that bad, was it?" He asked.

"No. Not it wasn't."

He nodded slowly.

"Yes?" She asked.

He smiled at her question, "How did you know I wanted to say something else?"

She was playing with fire, "I'm just that good at being a fake girlfriend?"

He shook his head with a smile, "You just know me too well Sarah." He scuffed the floor with his shoe, "Look, there is one thing…"

Hope was a terrible thing. It shot to life inside her chest, clambouring over her frazzled thoughts.

"Yes?" She asked far too quickly.

"There's a charity gala this Friday night." He said. "I was wondering if we could do this one last thing?"

The hope burned to the ground around her, making her heart hurt.

He had crossed state lines for their ruse, had tarnished his reputation and nearly broken his hand, she did owe him.

Plus her heart was already broken so what was one more night taunting herself with what she didn't have?